Railway-switch



(No Model.)

0. H. & W. H. STURGIS.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 569,084 I PatentedOot. 6, 1896.

ATTORNEYS.

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placed in substantially the usual way to provide a transfer from themain line to the siding or from the siding to the main line, and thecontracted ends of the rails of the switches are placed close to andinside of the main rails adjacent to where the siding-rails are toUNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

CHARLES H. STURGIS AND \VILBUR H. STURGIS, OF SWVARTZ CREEK, MICHIGAN.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,034, dated October6, 1896.

Application filed Tune 18, 1896. Serial No. 595,991- (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. STURGIs and WILBUR H. STURGIS, 0f SwartzCreek, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of our invention is to provide a railway-switch which willhave a rocking instead of the usual sliding lateral movement, the switchbeing simple, durable, and economic, and so constructed that it will notbe aifected by snow and ice and will be safe under all conditions.

A further object of the invention is to so shape the switches that thepoint of the switch thrown from the rail will have a surface adapted tobe engaged by the wheel-flanges of a passing train, in such manner as toprevent a possible accidental displacement of the switches when thetrain first reaches them or while the train is in transit over them.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference inclicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a railway-track having theimproved switch applied. Fig. 2 is a section taken centrally between therails of the track, the said section being taken on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken, essentially, on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken, substantially, on theline at i of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one ofthe switches viewed from its under side.

In the drawings the rails of the main track are designated as A and thesiding-rails as B, the arrangement of the main and siding rails being asusual. The switches C are connect with the main rails, one of the saidswitches extending from the continuous main rail A to the brokenextension of the same,

'and the other switch extends from the opposite continuous main rail tothe siding-rail, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Both of these switches arejournaled at their ends in suitable bearings a,secured to the sleepersor ties,and preferably the bearings for each of the switches areconnected by a horizontal brace-plate a, the said brace-plates beingusually provided with a longitudinal concavity in the central portion oftheir upper faces, as best shown in Fig. 3.

Each switch consists of a body-section 10, having a cylindrical orsemicircular bottom and sides, and trunnions are located at each end ofthe said body to enter the aforesaid bearings a. The top 11 of the bodyis flat from end to end, and the switch-rail 12 is either attached tothe upper portion of the body 10 or is made integral therewith, asillustrated in the drawings.

The switch-rails 12 taper from one end in direction of the other,terminating at one extremity in a point 12, which is located at that endof the switch which is adjacent to the'convexed portion of the maintrack, and the opposite or wider end 12 of each switchrail12 is locatedadjacent to the rail to which the transfer is to be made.

The switchrails 12 at their wider ends extend over and beyond the outerfaces of the body portions 10 of the switches, as shown particularly inFig. 5, and are supported by one or more rests 20, whicil"?re fastenedto the ties, thus keeping the projecting switchrail from turning belowthe level of the stationary rails A and B. The distance that theswitch-rails project beyond their bodies gradually diminishes until atthe pointed ends of the switch-rails their outer faces are practicallyflush with and form substantially a continuation of the circle of theouter face of the base.

The track-rails, adjacent to the ends of the switches carrying thecontracted ends of the switch-rails, are cut away upon their innerfaces, as illustrated in Fig. 4:, so that when a switch is thrown towardthe outer rail B, for example, the outer cylindrical side of that switchwill pass the under face of the head of the track-rail freely and permitthe outer side face of the contracted portion of the switchrail to pressagainst the said track-rail, as shown at the right in Fig. 4.

In the outer side face of the body portion 10 of each switch, at a pointbelow the upper surface bearing the contracted end of the switch-rail12, a groove or channel 13 is produced in said body, longitudinallythereof and having substantially a spiral direction, the highest pointof the groove being at the end of the body, the said groove diminishingin depth until it finally vanishes at a point near the center of thebody. This groove is V-shaped in cross-section, and at the end of thebody forms a point ora flange 13, which, when the switch is thrown fromthe rail, as shown at the right in Fig. 4, will enter the cut-awayportion of the rail, heretofore referred to, and will extend upwardnearly to.

the top of the rail-head, and the wheelflanges of a passing train, whenthey enter a switch or when they leave it, according to the direction inwhich the switch is approached, will engage with the inner face of thisflange 13 and will serve to hold that switch in the position to which itwas thrown, consequently preventing the shifting of the opposite switch,since both of the switches are connected and are simultaneouslyoperated.

It is obvious that under this, construction of a switch it cannot beclogged by snow and ice, since there is no possibility of snow beingpacked between the switches and the trackrails. The brace-plates a serveto strengthen and support the switches throughout their length, so thatthere can be'no possibility of their sagging, no matter what weight iscarried over them or how rapidly the train may be traveling.

The body portion of each switch is preferably provided with one moredownwardlyextending arms 14, and these arms are in pivotal connectionwith one or more shifting bars 15, the said shifting bar or bars beingcarried beyond one side of the track and connected with and operatedthrough the me: dium of a single lever 16 of any approved type.

hen one of the switch-rails of a switch is in engagen twith an outermain rail, the switch-rail of the opposite switch will be carried out ofcontact with the opposing outer rail, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and l,while, as heretofore stated, the switch whose rail is out of engagementwith the outer track-rail will have its flange in engagement with thatrail..

Under such a construction the switch is made perfectly safe under allconditions, it is easily operated, requires but little power, and may beeconomically made.

The throw of the switches may be regulated as in practice may be founddesirable. In the drawings the arms 14 from the body of the switches areshown as being passed downward through slots in the shifting bar 15.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent -1. I11 a railway-switch, a switch membermounted to rotate between adjacent ends of a track-rail, the said switchmember comprisin g a body having a rounded bottom and sides and a fiattop, and a switch-rail located upon the fiat upper portion of the body,extending beyond a side of the body at its wider end and beingsubstantially flush with the said body at its contracted end, as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. In railway-switches, a switch member mounted to rotate betweenadjacent ends of a track-rail, the said switch member consisting of abody having a flat top and rounded bottom and sides, a plate locatedbeneath the switch member and having its upper surface curved forcontinuous engagement with the aforesaid body of the switch member, anda. switch-rail located upon the'upper portion of the said body,extending at its wider end beyond the body, the narrower end of theswitch-rail being substantially flush with the side of the body, as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. In a railway-switch, a switch member adapted to rotate betweenadjacent ends of a track-rail, the said switch member consisting of abody portion having its sides and bottom rounded, and provided with afiat top and a tapering V groove in its outer side, and a switch-railsecured to the top of the body, the wider end of the switch-railextending beyond the outer side face of the body, the pointed end of theswitch-rail being substan tially flush with the inner wall of theaforesaid groove in said body, as and for the purpose set forth.

et. A switch having main and switch rails thereon and the switch membersbeing connected with opposite disposition whereby when the rail of oneswitch member or point is engaged with the main rail the rail of theremaining switch member or point will be out of engagement with theremaining adjacent main rail, substantially as described.

5. A switch having main and switch rails and two switch members orpoints forming continuations of the switch-rails, the switch members orpoints being mounted to rock and to carry the wheels of the car duringits passage over the switch, the switch-rails being constructed to throwthe wheels from one track to the other and being oppositely disposed toeach other and connected to turn simultaneously, substantially asdescribed.

CHARLES H. STURGIS. WILBUR H. STURGIS. Vitnesses:

W; R. CALDWELL, W. O. CALDWELL.

